Something Different
by SilverWolf7
Summary: Aziraphale falls in love.  With a woman.  Yes, AziraphaleOFC story.  Chapter Three:  In which things with Linda and Crowley both go downhill for Aziraphale.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer - All characters of which you have heard of from GO belong to Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. I don't own them in other words. Linda on the other hand is mine as I thought her up.

A/N - Since Aziraphale's human name for the time period during the book was A. Ziraphale, I have decided to stick with that for this story, instead of calling him Mr. Fell. So, better get used to him being called Arthur, which is the name I chose for him in this story.

Something Different

The bell above the bookshop's door merrily jingled, signalling someone had just walked in. Looking up with a glowering stare, he was surprise not to see someone who would usually try to buy one of his books, but a young woman. A young woman who at this instance was dripping all over his floor. He hadn't noticed that it had started to rain.

"May I help you?" he asked, his voice taking on the somewhat stern tone he always took on with anyone who enters his shop.

The woman glanced up at him, brown eyes looking a little angrily at him. "I just need a place to get out of the rain, that's all," she said, her voice holding the agitation of someone having been suddenly drenched without warning. Of which, by the look of

it, had happened.

"Are you planning on buying anything?" he asked, raising one eyebrow and wished that sometimes he didn't have to always be so good, so he could just tell her to go away.

The woman stared blankly at him, took a good look around the shop and wrinkled her nose. "No, I have no interest in buying old, dusty books, but thanks anyway. I'm just looking for a place to get out of the rain as I said."

Aziraphale allowed himself to look a little embarrassed, before smiling brightly, set the sign on the door to closed and led her into the room behind the bookshop. His study was behind one door and he went over to it and shut it, making sure it was securely locked, before ushering her to the seat Crowley usually took at the small table and pottered around the kitchen for a bit, making them some tea.

"Here you go, warm yourself with some tea my dear, and tell me how long it has been raining. I was...caught up with something and didn't even notice." He picked up his cup and took a sip, wincing slightly as the hot liquid burnt his tongue.

An angry sigh was the reply he recieved to begin with, before she took a few calming sips of tea and placed her cup on the coaster waitng on the table. "It just started about five minutes ago. It was really strange actually, there was barely a cloud in the sky and the next minute, instant downpour. I'm Linda by the way, Linda Brighton."

Aziraphale blinked before shaking his head and holding out his hand for her to shake. "Arthur Ziraphale. Owner of a little antique book store, collector of rare editions and hoarding them from the outside world. Sorry about my first greeting to you. I get...possessive. Not very good for business, but I can get money other ways than selling my books. I just needed some place to store them..."

Linda snorted and grabbed at her tea again. "Well, the only thing I collect are models of cars. Vintage ones mainly."

Aziraphale chuckled. "I would have to introduce you to Crowley sometime. He is very proud of his car, though he drives it like a mad lunatic. It is a 1926 Bentley."

Linda's jaw dropped before she closed it again with a loud clack of teeth. "Wow, you know the guy who drives that car?"

"Unfortunately. He's an old friend." Aziraphale would never admit to her just how old, it would scare her away and he found himself rather relaxed and enjoying her company. She was a good soul, he could tell that.

She smiled at him and shook her head. "Well, I have seen his driving, so I can agree with the lunatic part. Next time he finds it funny to almost run someone over, perhaps someone could scream his name and add on a few certain expletives."

Aziraphale couldn't help but laugh at that. The woman had a solid will that was for sure. That was good for if he ever saw her again and introduced her to Crowley. "Well, in that case, his name is Anthony. He usually goes by Crowley though. His last name."

"Ah," Linda stated, a cheeky grin on her face. "He suffers from Bond mania does he?"

Aziraphale blinked. "From...what?"

"You know, 'My name is Bond, James Bond.'"

"Ah." Sometimes Aziraphale really didn't understand young people these days, and one thing he had never been interested that much in was action heroes, though Crowley did seem to have a fixation with them. "Yes, I guess he does."

"Well, that may explain his driving," she replied, finishing off her tea in one big gulp. She got up and placed the empty cup in the sink and looked out the window. "Oh, the rains stopped, and I have to go now. It ws nice talking to you Mr. Ziraphale. Odd name that."

"Call me Arthur, or Zira if you prefer."

She looked at him for a bit before nodding. "Arthur it is. Zira makes you sound like a girl."

Aziraphale found himself shrugging. "You get used to it after a while. Children call me Zira, as they cannot pronounce all my last name, and I spend some time with the children in orphanages and hostels. They need someone willing to talk to them. Without giving their hopes up. Poor things..."

Linda nodded again, her smile fading slightly. "You're a good man, you know that, Arthur? It's rare nowadays. But I have to go. Thanks for the place to stay while the rain was gong on. Oh and for the tea."

"It was my pleasure," he replied, bowing slightly, before walking her to the door and opening it for her. No one could ever say he was anything but a gentleman.

As Linda disappeared down the street he found himself hoping that he would see her again some time in the near future.


	2. Chapter 2

* * *

Something Different 

Chapter Two

He had almost forgotten all about the woman when he accidentally ran into her while on the way to do some shopping a few weeks later. He immediately recognised those eyes as he looked down to apologise for knocking her over. And he could see the recognition in her eyes too.

"Arthur! How nice of you to run into me like this. Do you think you could help me back up?" she asked, holding one hand out for him to grab. He noticed that her fingernails were dirty and in need of a good manicure, but decided to keep quiet for the time being. She may be one of those people who is insulted by such comments.

He leant down and grabbed her hand, helping her get back on her feet. They stood face to face, and Aziraphale was suddenly uncomfortable in her presence, the complete opposite to how he felt last time while she was in his shop. "Er. Well, it was nice to see you again," he said, and felt rather embarrassed by it. He didn't know what he wanted to do, invite her back to his shop, or run in the opposite direction and hope that he never set eyes on her again.

Linda chuckled slightly. "Well, we really need to meet when no one is either sopping wet, or being flattened to the ground."

Aziraphale blushed, his face feeling like it was on flames. "I'm so sorry about that, I wasn't watching where I was going."

"That's alright, I wasn't either. So! What are you going walkabouts for?"

Aziraphale gave her an odd look. Was she purposefully treating him like a child, or was that just her? "I am off to do a little bit of shopping. You know, bread, milk, tea. The essentials for life on Earth." He blushed again. He was beginning to sound like...like something that wasn't him. It was rather annoying, and a little scary at the same time.

Linda just looked at him and smiled. "You blush easily. I like that."

He could feel the heat in his face climb down his neck, and up to his ears. Now he was just plain embarrassed., but a little bit of his mind was glad that she found something in him worth liking enough to comment on it. Even at the expense of his ever growing embarrassment. "Er, well, thank you...I think?"

He began to walk back towards the little corner shop he was fond of at the moment, but was stoped by a hand at his elbow. "Care for some company? I was just walking and wouldn't mind the company."

Aziraphale's mind went blank. Usually he was intelligent, very intelligent, but right now he couldn't utter anything bettter than a quick "Uh," before quickly walking away. She followed his steps. Why oh why wouldn't she leave him alone? She stayed with him as he bought his milk and tea, even as he grabbed at the loaf of bread and absently began walking straight towards the park to feed a few lucky ducks the crust.

She had the gall to actually steal the first true slice of bread and shredded it for the ducks so she could join in. Before he could tell her off, he noted that she seemed genuinely happy to be feeding the birds and decided to let it go this once. After the crust and slice were gone, they both walked back to his shop for lunch.

For some odd reason, strawberry jam sandwiches with tea had never tasted so good. And he found himself enjoying her company again.

They talked. About mundane silly things like the weather and how it hadn't rained since she had ran into his store seeking shelter, how the ducks always looked so funny squabbling over pieces of bread, how nice it was to have a good lunch with better company. Yes, Aziraphale was definitely enjoying her presence again.

So much so that by the time she left, it was well into the next morning.

* * *

The same pattern went on for days, which stretched on to weeks and Aziraphale found that her presence was missed if she didn't rock up for one reason or another. She always had an excuse, but it made him feel like she should be with him instead. It was very non-angelic of him, but he shrugged it off, finding that he just liked the company of a friend that didn't also happen to be a demon.

Crowley was currently in some other part of the world, up to miscief as usual, but this time for official business. He had heard a muttered sentence of something to do with the small country islands of Indonesia before heading on his gloomy way.

He had been gone for months now and Aziraphale didn't really miss him which was odd really. Usually he waited for him, but with Linda keeping him company, he found himself forgetting the demon and focusing his attention on her instead. He wondered vaguely if he should feel guilty for forgetting his infernal opponent who was more a friend than anything else.

Currently, Aziraphale was sipping tea from his favourite mug, and listening to Linda as she told him of her day. She had come around with the news that she had just gotten a new job as a waitress at a little Italian restaurant that had just been started and was finally making some money. She had been out of work for a week, having been fired from her other job working in a plant nursery.

If he had been expecting it, he probably wouldn't have been as surprised as he was, but when she leaned over towards him and kissed him gently on the lips, he found his surprise was only matched by his sudden breathlessness. With limbs that seemed to have slowed down, he brought a hand up to touch at his lips experimentally, before looking towards Linda.

He would never know what had possessed him in that moment, but he cupped her chin with one of his hands and gently brought her face back to his to kiss her back. This kiss was longer, it was sweeter and it was making him feel light headed. It was one of the best feelings he had ever had in his very long life on Earth.

The world outside the two of them disappeared as the kiss deepened slightly, his free hand coming around to the back of her head, to lightly caress her brown hair. It was a lot more course than he was expecting, and it was more straggly than wavy, but somehow, he found himself liking that in her.

He made a little sound in the back of his throat as he began to enjoy it more than he should, but he couldn't stop. Didn't want to stop. He didn't remeber when Linda crawled out of her chair so that she was sitting on his lap, but he couldn't find it in himself to really care. It was just making him feel warmer than he already was.

The sound of someone clearing their throat from the doorway made them break up quickly and look towards the sound. After all, the shop door was closed and locked. Aziraphale was actually surprised to see Crowley standing there. "Wow, angel, who would ever have thought you had it in you," was the first thing out of the demon's mouth.

Linda sat back down in her own seat, squirming slightly at the awkward moment. Aziraphale cleared his own throat before attempting to talk. He was quite out of breath he found. "Hello Crowely. When did you get back? Did you have a good time?" he asked, hoping to calm himself down, and hopefully all those present in the room with some friendly chit chat.

Crowley grimaced. "What do you think my time was like? Starting disputes is a lot more boring than it may sound, and I would prefer to use my charms and good looks for other more interesting kinds of work, if you get my drift." The demon looked between the two and smirked. "And I can see what you have been getting yourself into. Hi."

The last was said to the woman, who smiled slightly and waved as a reply. Aziraphale was seriously getting angry over the lewd responses that Crowley was making. "If you don't behave yourself, my dear, you can just leave my shop and go home."

The demon went still. "I already was home. Home home, if you get what I mean by that. London will always feel like home to me now. Thought you would be alone."

The last sentence was enough to alert Aziraphale to the fact that Crowley probably had been away longer than was necessary for his job as he had been sent back to Hell for some reason or another. Perhaps he had been discorporated? In any case, Crowley always came to him afterwards, wanting to moan about how bad Hell was. He rarely talked about what happened to him while there though. He just needed an outlet for anger which he always felt after being sent back up to Earth.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Come join us. Would you like some tea perhaps? There is plently to go around." He got up quickly, went to kis little kitchen and filled the mug Crowley used with some of the lukewarm liquid from the kettle, he turned around and walked back to Crolwey, a steaming mug of tea now in his hands.

Crowley nodded and sat down on the nearest chair, his gaze always flickering towards the girl behind his sunglasses. Aziraphale may not be able to see it happening, but after too many long years of seeing Crowley wear the dark glasses, he was used to knowing what he was doing behind them. And right now, he seemed very interested in Linda.

Aziraphale felt like a complete fool. He hadn't introduced the two yet! Where had his manners gone? "Linda, meet Crowley, Crowley, meet Linda."

"Hello," they said to each other at the same time. Linda looked away, Crowley looked at her with a wicked smile on his face.

"So...should I leave now? I was interrupting, I realise. Should just let the two of you to mate like mad animals."

Aziraphale paled. Not that he was embarrassed, of which he was too horrified to even think to be. There was real spite in the demon's words.

"Crowley...did anything bad happen to you?" he asked, more out of a need to try and understand why Crowley was acting this way and it was the only thing he could think of.

"No. Just the usual. Business, a little talking to..." Crowley got back to his feet, tea cup still in hand. "Well, I'm leaving so you to can continue on where you left off, Ciao."

Aziraphale would never understand why Crolwey did it, but the next second went by so fast he barely registered it had happened until he heard a shriek coming from the seat next to him. Sitting on the table, now quite empty was Crowley's mug. The tea that had once been inside now dripping down the fromnt of Linda's clothing. The demon was out the door before either the human woman or the angel could blink. Linda leapt to her feet soon afterwards as the burning made her aware of what had happened. "I'm sorry, but...I have to leave now."

And leave she did. Aziraphale sat at his table, slowly sipping from his own full mug of tea and wondering what had just happened. He felt rather alone right then.

A/N - Any and all mistakes (and the crap ending) are my fault. And this has not been beta read either. Ah well, hopefully someone out there enjoys.


	3. Chapter 3

Something Different

Chapter Three

"Well, when you next see him, if ever, tell him he is a complete bastard for me!" Linda stated, for the fifth time that night as she paced from one end of the back room to the other. Aziraphale could feel the anger running off of her in waves and knew that Crowley would be in one unfortunate position if he decided to show himself tonight.

He wouldn't, Aziraphale knew. Crowley always stayed away until he calmed down. If he didn't one of them was more than likely to find themselves inconveniently discorporated and now...now there was a mortal in the mix. A person who wouldn't be coming back like he or the demon could.

"He knows he is a bastard. He prides himself on it actually. It's in his nature to be so, please try not to be angry at him."

"He threw scalding hot tea on me! It's a miracle I wasn't burnt!"

Aziraphale blushed slightly. Yes, he couldn't help but stop burns from happening as what had happened to her had registered.

So, something was definitely wrong with the demon, and now he had Crowley and Linda both angry at him for some reason or another. At least he knew the woman's reason. Aziraphale sighed and shook his head. "I'm sorry. I didn't know he would act like that. He isn't usually so...mean."

Linda turned to glare at him, and for one second he thought that perhaps she had turned into a demon in the short time since yesterday. If she was any angrier than she already was, her eyes would be a furious red and she would be breathing fire. "It's not you who needs to apologise. I will not forgive anyone until I get an apology."

Aziraphale's heart sank at that. Getting an apology out of Crowley was as likely as getting himself to burn down the bookshop. It just wasn't going to happen...at least, not without some help. "I will...I will go talk to him then. He probably isn't in any mood to be nice right now though. And he will need the talk to learn that what he did was wrong."

"Oh no! No helping him. Go talk to him all you want, yell at each other for all I care, but you will not tell him to come and apologise. He will do that on his own."

Sighing Aziraphale shook his head. "Then he won't apologise."

Linda looked unsure for a few minutes, but an icy resolve passed over her face and he knew she was about to say something he would hate to hear. "Then I guess that I shouldn't come around here any longer. Bye Arthur. I...I enjoyed your company, just so you know."

She left, the door slowly clicking behind her in a finality that made Aziraphale ache inside. Sighing again, he grabbed his coat from its normal place by the door and put it on. He might as well go have a talk with Crowley now.

It was getting colder. Autumn had just arrived and with it crisp breezes and even colder rain than normal. He enjoyed this time of the year, though Crowley hated it. He left with all intents of trying to persuade a demon into apologising to a human.

* * *

He had promised himself not to be angry with Crowley, that anger wasn't necessary and that there was definitely something wrong with the demon, but as soon as the door to the Mayfair flat opened after a few minutes of thumping it into near non-existence, the first thing he did was punch Crowley, hard, in the nose. A loud crunch signified broken cartilidge. Aziraphale didn't even bother thinking about thinking the broken nose better. 

He didn't like to admit such things to himself, but right that minute he really wanted Crowley to feel pain, and if the bleary eyes staring at him with an agonised expression meant he had arrived at this goal, then all the better for him.

"If I ever see you again, it better be for an apology. To both Linda and myself. Other than that, I don't want to see you in my life ever again."

He left. It wasn't until he got home that cold dread filled him and he sat in his comfortably old armchair and worried about what he had just done. He wouldn't be taking it back now though, no matter how much he suddenly wanted to, if for nothing other than to heal the mess he had made of Crowley's face.

But one fact remained. He had not only lost Linda, but his...well there were no other words for it other than best friend, all in the one day. He refused to put the kettle on to boil some water. He was suddenly terrified that if anything warm was to enter his bookshop, the whole thing would go up in flames.

* * *

He had gotten a phone call from Linda a week after their fight saying that she was going away on business and that she wouldn't be back until the end of the month. Aziraphale could hear the lie in her words and knew that she was just giving him an excuse not to go looking for her at her house. 

He had once, three days after their fight. He had knocked on her door for a half hour before he noticed that the blind had been pushed aside and she had been staring at him the entire time. He had turned around and gone back home. He had been torn on whether or not having a hot chocolate and reading would be a good idea, or if he should sit on the couch and cry the rest of the night. He did neither, instead he worked for a bit on his taxes. His computer hadn't been used so much in at least a year.

He truly wasn't expecting the knock on his door, just before he served himself some recently brewed tea, and was expecting even less the mess of a demon at his door. He tried to stop himself, but ended up snorting out his laughter.

"Yes, very funny," Crowley hissed, before pushing his way inside and towards the stairs leading to the first floor where he had a family room that was mainly used to store books in. It had a fireplace built in there. The demon planted himself in front of the fireplace, glared at it to ignite the wood inside and turned his back on the flickering flames.

"What are you doing here...and how did you get so wet?" he asked, his voice not as sharp as he wished it would sound. While he truly wished for an apology, Aziraphale had stopped being angry a while ago.

Crowley shrugged and looked towards where he was standing. "It is raining. I got caught in it."

Knowing full well that Crowley was ignoring the other half of his question, Aziraphale sighed, miracled his tea to the family room and sat in one of the chairs scattered about the room. Sipping the warm liquid helped calm him further and he sank into the chair comfortably. "You do realise that until I get an apology out of you, and Linda gets one too, I will pretend you don't exist, don't you?" After he figured out that saying that went against what he had just said, he frowned. "Well, starting now anyway."

"Yeah? Really now? So you wouldn't mind me borrowing some of your books and roasting them in this nice fire then would you? I can happily go about my job and perhaps have no interference from some fussy old angel. I could sing over and over, the same verse even. I can...I can...Aziraphale are you listening to me?"

True to his word, Aziraphale ignored everything the demon was saying, picked up the nearest book (one of his books on prophecy, but they hadn't been the same since getting his hands on Agnes' book) and opened it up to the beginning. It was always a good place to begin something.

For a while he forgot that Crowley was standing in front of him, regardless that every once in a while the demon would call out his name, or wag a hand in front of his face. It was the slam of the front door and the screeching of tyres that got him to realise that Crowley had finally left. He didn't imagine that he would feel so lonely without the familiar presence about.

Yet here he was, sitting on a chair that was barely used until the winter comes along, with a roaring fire, feeling like he had just lost his best friend. Perhaps this time he truly had.


End file.
